Best tablet, Awards 2011. The marriage of content, functionality and performance remains unsurpassed

For

Unrivalled usability

tons of apps and content

AirPlay

svelte design

Against

Closed shop for content

no Flash

more features elsewhere

Reviewed on 3rd June 2011

Is it possible to say something about the iPad 2 that hasn’t been said before? Well, we could say it takes a while to get used to (it doesn’t), the interface is a little sluggish (it isn’t) or that content is a little thin on the ground (there’s tonnes of it). So... that’s a no then.

In design it remains ahead of the pack. Light, slim and smart. But as has happened in the phone world, the iPad’s interface no longer drops jaws, with Android rivals more customisable and dynamic.

Interface is still the daddyIn use, it’s still unsurpassed. The operating system (OS) is fast and intelligent, and renders web pages better than anything else – provided they don’t use Flash, which Apple still refuses to adopt.

Applications are increasing in functionality and adoption, and Apple’s App Store remains the leader in quantity and quality.

The iTunes Store is similarly powerful when it comes to audio and video. Nowhere else has the breadth of legal content for download from tunes to TV shows to films.

More after the break

But if you don’t like iTunes or want more choice of content or software, you are, of course, out of luck (bar complex workarounds).

Top class audioAudio remains top of the class, with better detail and dynamics than any rival device we've heard. Support for Apple Lossless is great, but note that iTunes doesn’t support FLAC.

It’s less clear cut with video, where rivals offer sharper edges at times – but the iPad is still in the mix-up for the top slot.

An increasingly crucial string in Apple’s bow is AirPlay, which offers simple wireless streaming to a range of compatible products.

You can get a bigger screen (it’s 9.7in), a higher resolution (1024 x 768 and more features (from USB inputs to keyboards); but a better all-round experience and level of performance? That’s a tough ask.